A Magistrate Court sitting in Port Harcourt has remanded three members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, for alleged cultism, conspiracy and threat to life.
The three ADC members, Confidence Amadi, Chikezie Justice and Isaiah Thomas, were arrested at Isiokpo, headquarters of Ikwerre local government area of Rivers State, during the party’s campaign rally in the area.
The trio were arraigned on Tuesday by the Rivers State Police Command before the Magistrate Court, presided over by Obiageri Anughum-Onuoha.
Their remand followed an application by the prosecution, which asked the court to keep them in custody while the case is being filed before a court of proper jurisdiction.
The prosecution said the magistrate’s court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
The presiding magistrate, Anughum-Onuoha granted the application and adjourned the matter to October 2, 2026.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State, had accused the Rainbow Coalition of using personnel of the Nigeria Police to intimidate and harassment members of the party in the state.
Rainbow Coalition, founded by the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, is made of prominent politicians from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Action Alliance (AA), Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
An ADC stakeholder in the state, Dr. Leloonu Nwibubasa, while addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, insisted that the Police arrested the three party members based on instructions from the coalition and by extension, the APC.
But, speaking with LEADERSHIP, APC publicity secretary in the state, Hon. Chibike Ikenga, said the Rainbow Coalition never connived with the Nigeria Police to arrest or intimidate members of the opposition.
Ikenga stated that the responsibility of the coalition of any other organisation is to mention those who are committing illegal activities to law enforcement agents.
“Well, so because they are members of NDC or ADC, if the run foul of the law, they won’t face it; is that what you mean? Is that what it means? Even the APC, even the Rainbow Coalition as we are, any of the parties that belong to the coalition; if any of their members are found foul of the law, they will face the full weight of the law, no matter how highly placed the person is or even if it is his own political affiliation.
“We are not involved in the arrest of the ADC members. How can we be involved; are we law enforcement agents?
“APC, Rainbow Coalition and other parties that have signed into the coalition are not law enforcement agents. So, our responsibility is to mention to law enforcement agents if we see and observe people who are committing crime, we report to the enforcers of the law and the take it up from there,” he said.
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